CODY — The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission heard proposals from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on several regulation changes and updates during the first day of its November meeting Thursday.
Interim Director Eric Wiltanger gave an update on several projects the Game and Fish has been working on including thanking the Wyoming Department of Transportation for its partnership on wildlife crossings around the state, and continued push for proven conservation outcomes for the fish and wildlife species that will be impacted by the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project.
“We are actively participating in the federal review process with the Bureau of Land Management, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the proposed Seminoe Pumped Storage project to ensure Wyoming’s wildlife and fisheries aren’t sidelined,” Wiltanger said.
Wiltanger also announced a Coffee and Conversations initiative to begin in early 2027. Leadership and regional staff will meet with people in communities across the state to listen to feedback, ideas and concerns about how the department and the state’s residents can keep Wyoming’s wildlife thriving together.
“Real service means sitting down at the table and having honest conversations with the public about wildlife management challenges in Wyoming, ” Wiltanger said.
The Commission approved the final draft of Wyoming’s 2027 State Wildlife Action Plan. The SWAP serves as a roadmap for conserving Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats and unlocks federal funding through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program. Since the program’s inception in 2002, the SWAP has helped Wyoming put $13 million on the ground to deliver 185 conservation projects across the state. The 2027 SWAP revision was made possible through the cooperation of countless agencies and organizations that are essential to conservation work in Wyoming, and public input.
“We thank everyone for their collaboration in the revision. Together, we have drafted a roadmap that will guide work for Wyoming’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats for the next 10 years,” said Rhiannon Jakopak, Game and Fish state wildlife action plan coordinator and wildlife policy and legislative affairs manager.
Justin Binfet, Game and Fish deputy chief of the Wildlife Division, gave an update on the Wildlife Division's plan to present a multi-year season-setting proposal for hunting. Multi-year season-setting is the process of establishing hunting regulations that span multiple years instead of annually. The department’s recommendation is a 3-year season setting cycle, starting in 2027. This would affect all big game, small/upland game, migratory game birds and turkeys. Binfet highlighted that multi-year season setting provides regulation consistency and the opportunity to reprioritize time and resources to address other important wildlife conservation concerns.
“The pledge to the Commission and the public is that in no way, shape or form is this going to diminish our engagement with the sportspeople and all of our stakeholder groups in Wyoming,“ Binfet said. “We are looking for ways to improve our current process and create new and improved opportunities for the public to engage with us.”
The Commission will vote on the multi-year season-setting process during its April 2027 meeting.
Several Game and Fish employees were recognized for their years of service:
- Craig Smith, Interim Chief of Wildlife, 25 years
- Jason Burckhardt, Cody Region fish biologist, 25 years
- Stan Harter, Lander Region wildlife biologist, 25 years
- Eric Shorma, Cody Region habitat and access biologist, 20 years
- Derek Lemon, Jackson Region habitat and access biologist, 20 years
- Jake Kettley, East Casper senior game warden, 20 years
Jill Randall, statewide migration coordinator from the Pinedale Region, Brandon Scurlock, wildlife management coordinator in the Pinedale Region, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and Governor Mark Gordon received a special recognition award at the 31st Biennial Pronghorn Workshop in August. They were recognized for award-winning efforts in the designation and conservation of Wyoming’s Sublette Pronghorn Herd Migration Corridor.
Pam Bechtoldt, license sales clerk, received an award from The Outdoor Dream Foundation. This non-profit organization grants hunting and fishing adventures to children under the age of 21 who have been diagnosed with terminal or life-threatening illnesses. Since 2004, more than 3,000 families have been impacted by outdoor adventures, many of them being in Wyoming. Bechtoldt ensures license issuance is not a barrier to these families and their outdoor experiences.
Chris McBarnes received recognition from the Commission for his dedication in helping to build The WYldlife Fund. McBarnes was the first president of the WYldlife Fund, which was formed in 2018 as a partner foundation to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. He resigned from that position in 2026 to move onto other ventures.
Adam Stephens, Game and Fish terrestrial habitat biologist in the Cody Region, presented an update on the beaver translocation program. Since 2018, 145 nuisance beavers have been captured and translocated in the Cody Region, which resulted in the construction of a beaver holding facility at the Cody Regional Office in 2023, paid for through private donations. Fifty-five beavers have been temporarily housed in the facility prior to translocation. Translocating beavers has benefits to riparian habitat.
Erin Leonetti, statewide fish passage biologist, presented a project on the Dick Creek Barrier and Diversion. The project's goal is to provide a reliable water source for Sunshine Wildlife Habitat Management Area, and prevent upstream passage of brook trout into the state’s second largest population of genetically pure Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The project was completed in October of 2025.
The meeting concludes Friday in Cody. More information regarding Thursday’s meeting can be found on the Game and Fish website Commission page. The public can join Friday virtually on Zoom.
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